Material handling device and method



y 5 9 M. E; STAIR 2,603,522

MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE AND METHOD Filed Oct. 26 1949 2 Sl-lEETS-Sl-iEET l INVENTOR.

y 15, 1952 M. E. STAIR 2,603,522

MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE AND METHOD Filed Oct. 26, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 /'5 I .1, ...V ;,I mlll V /3 l6 INVENTOR.

9 M26039 Zon 55mg BY tut.llaalu %g Patented July 15, 1952 g 2,603,522 MATERIAL ANDLING DEVIC .ME

Millington E. Stair, Chicago, 111., assignor to AND! Wyman-Gordon Company, Harvey, 111., a corp'oration of Massachusetts I Application v()"ctober 26, 1949, Serial-No. 123,619

scribe hereinafter in connection with the draw-. ings is aj cable sling device adapted for usein handling crank shafts, it is to be understood that the present invention is'not in all ofv its aspects limited to such use, but may be employed for all similar purposes.

, It is well known in industrial operations to stack various material on pallets and. to ship the pallets with the stacked material, the pallets being later returned. Pallets which .have been used for shipping crank shafts of the character with which the present" invention is adapted for use are bulky and weigh about 118 pounds. The return freight on a single pallet from Detroit to Chicago amounts toeighty cents which, when the pallet is used to ship, for example, forty crank shafts, increases the cost two cents for each crank shaft. The weight of the pallet also increases the cost of shipment with the crank shafts. I I v 'One of the main objects of the present invention is to providean improved sling handling method; also an improved form of cable sling which is less bulky and of considerably less weight than the pallets, skidsand the likeheretofore employed for handling articles of the character with which thepresentinvention is particularly adapted for use. v

Another object of the present invention. is to provide a slingd-evice which maybe readily applied, for example, around relatively bulky and heavy and loosely stackedarticles, such ascrank shafts or the like; the sling being of a character to bind the articles together and to be shipped therewith; also of a character to be readily removed and returned to. the shipper at considerably less expense than has been incurred where pallets, skids'and the like have been used in handling such articles. H 4,

Another object of the invention is to provide the sling with an improved form of cable clamp which is adapted when the cable is applied around the articles and drawn tight to clamp the cable tightly about the articles for shipping .in stacked form, withithe cable secured about the articles and binding them tightly together;. also an improved form] of cable clamp thatmay be Claims. (cl- 29444) Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of cable clamphavinga novel and improved cam action for gripping the cable between cooperating cable gripping surfaces of the clamp, and, more particularly, cable gripping surfaces for securely gripping the cable without severing or destroying the cable.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of cable clamp having a handle for releasing the locking member of'the clamp for engagement with the cable, and, more particularly, a handle disposed so that if other articles are placed on the articles bound together by the cable sling, any action of such other articles on the handle will tend to swing the locking member of the clamp in a direction to increase the locking engagement with the cable.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of device of the character set forth having various features of novelty and advantages, and which is particularly characterized by its simplicityin construction and its effectivene'ss in use. V

Further objects andv advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the manner.

of constructing and using an illustrative embodiment of the invention. v

In the drawings: s Figure l is a view showing in end elevation one of the stacking cradles and a plurality of crank shafts at the stage Where the sling embodying the present invention has been applied around the crank shafts and is being lifted by a lifting or elevating mechanism;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of one of the stacking cradles; V

' Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view showing how the cable is applied to the cable clamp and the manner in which the cable clamp operates Figure 5 is an end view of the cable clamp looking inthe direction of the arrow B in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, according to the present invention the crank shafts l or other articles are stacked in a pair of cradle members 2, one of which is shown in end elevation in Figure 1 andin perspective view in Fig-ure 2.' v a Each cradle 2 has feet or base portions 3 adapted to reston the floor, ground,. or other support, and a generally U-shaped and upwardly end a loop 8 which is engaged with a hook 9 in lo tegral with a member In Which constitutes one part of the cable clamp or locking device; Mom,- ber I is forked at H, and a locking member I2 is pivoted at I3 in the forked part of the member I0.

end thereof. This cable gripping. surface I4 is. preferably of smooth concave form as shown'in Figures 4 and 5, and. is preferably disposed at an. angle of about to a perpendicular to the longitudinal-center line of the member I 0. I v

The locking member .I 2'has .a curved peripheral cable gripping surface I5 between which and the gripping surface I4 of the clamp member In and the sides of the fork I I-the cable I is passed upon 2 passing the cable around the stack of crank shafts or other articles I and applying the loop 8 of the cable to the hook 9. The peripheral grippingsu'rface I5.-is preferablyof. smooth, concave form,- as shown inFigures 4 and 5. The previously mentioned angle of the cable gripping surface I4 is in a direction downward and away from the cooperating cable gripping surface I5 as the device is viewed in Figure 3. This angularity of the surface I4 is important because, if the angularity-is too much less than that described, the-cam surface I5.will not come into full bearing, and the clamp will not effectively lock the cable. On the other hand, iftheangle is in the opposite direction, the clamp will not lock the cable at all. i 1

g The locking member I2 has a protruding arm I6 which engages the cable 1 ahead of the cable gripping surfaces I4 and I5 in the direction of the stacked articlesI, as shownin Figures 1 and 3, .to. provideby its cooperation with the'cable a lever actionfor imparting swinging movement to the locking member I2 in a direction to produce gradually increasing and tight gripping engagement of the cooperating gripping surfaces I4 and I5 with the cable. The protruding arm I6 constitutes, in effect, a leverv which derives its force from the tension within the cable. As shown in Figure 3, the curved peripheral cable gripping surface I5 of the locking member I2 is of generally increasing radius inthe direction of the arrow C. As a result, when the locking member I2, as viewed in Figure 3, is swung counterclockwiseabout the pivot pin I3 by the cooperation of the cable I with the protruding arm I6 of the locking member, the gripping surface I5 wedges very firmly into engagement with the cable to grip and lock it tightly between the gripping surfaces I4 and I5.

As shown in Figure 4, the pivot pin I3 is headed at oneend at I6. The opposite end of the pin I3 passes through a washer l1 and is secured in place, for example, by a cotter pin I8 which is passed through a diametrical aperture I9 near the end of the pin I3. A, stop pin 23, integral 70,

with the locking member I2,.cooperates with the end 2I of the clamp member ID to limit swinging movement of the locking member I2 clockwise relative to the member ID as the cable clamp is :viewed .in Figure 3. The smooth, concave form 75,

A cable gripping surface "is provided. at, I4 15 between the sides of the fork I I, and at the inner of the gripping surface I5 preferably extends throughout the entire extent of the curved peripheral gripping surface and down and around the protruding arm I6 of the locking member I2 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.

For the purpose of tightening the cable the, stacked articles and. lifting them from the cradles 2, there is shown fragmentarily in Figure I 1 a lift truck 22 having a frame which is vertically movable, as well known in the art. This vertically movable frame has an outwardly extending horizontal arm or boom 23 which may be extensible horizontally as shown, although the extensible features of the boom 23 may be omitted. The boom 23 carries a swivel hook 24, and the adjacent end of the cable 'I has a loop 25 whichis engaged with the hook 24,

In handling the crank shafts I or other articles according, to the present invention, they are first loosely stacked in the cradles 2. The looped end 25 of the cable is thenengaged with the swivel hook 24, and the cable 'is'passed down around the stacked articles I and the looped end 8 of the cable. is engaged with the hook 9 on the clamp member I0.

The boom 23 is then raised and thus draws the cable I tightly aroundthe articles I, and continued upward movement ofthe boom lifts the bound articles from the cradle 2. Then when the articles are set down, for example, on a truck or on the floor or other support, the spreading. action of the cable on the grooved, protruding arm I6 of thelocking member I2 swings this member counterclockwise about the pivot I3 as the device is viewed in Figure 3. As a result, the setting down of the articles after the cable is drawn tightly about the articles causes the grooved peripheral surface I5 of the locking member I2 to be wedged veryfirmly against the cable I, at26, to clamp and lock the. cable securely between the grooved surface I5 and the opposed grooved gripping surface I4 of the clamp member I0. This clamps or looks the cable I tightly and securely about the stackedarticles.

For crank "shafts which heretofore required pallets weighing about 118 pounds, the cable and locking device of the present invention may The locking member I2 has an integral angularhandle 2'! which may be grasped in the hand and swung in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3, to release the locking member I2 and thereby the cable I for removal from the articles, for example, after they reach their destination, or at anyother desired time. The handle 21 is so disposed that if other articles are stacked or placed on the. articles bound by the cable sling, any downward action of such other articles on the handle 21' will tend to swing the locking member I2 in a direction to increase its locking engagement with the cable I.

The cable clamp of the present invention is not limited to use as a locking choker for sling handling articles, but may be used for any other desired purpose, for example, with a single cable for lashing vehicles or cargo to vessels, freight cars or the like, or for securing airplanes to the ground, or for any other purpose.

The embodiment of the invention, shown in the drawings is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be expressly understood that said drawings and theaccompanying specification are not to be construed as a definitionof the limits- 2 about or scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for that purpose.

I claim:

1. A cable clamp for clamping a cable in looped relation about a bundle of articles comprising, in combination, a clamp member for attachment to one end of the cable, said clamp member having a fork thereon, a cable gripping surface between the sides of the fork at the inner end thereof, a locking member pivoted in said fork and having a curved peripheral cable gripping surface between which and the gripping surface of the clamp member and the sides of the fork the cable is adapted to pass and be gripped upon being looped about the articles, said locking member having a first protruding arm for engaging the cable in position spaced from the place of gripping engagement with the cable toward the looped portion thereof whereby the articles act automatically to swing the gripping surface of the locking member into gripping engagement with the cable, and a second protruding arm on said locking member for swinging the locking member in a direction to release the gripping engagement with the cable, said second arm being positioned where upon looping the cable about the articles it will be disposed outside the looped portion of the cable which encircles the articles so that it will not be operated to released position by the articles within the looped portion of the cable.

2. A cable clamp according to claim 1 wherein there is stop means on the locking member cooperable with the clamp member to limit the releasing movement of the locking member to prevent jamming the cable against the clamp member at position spaced from the place of gripping engagement with the cable.

3. A cable clamp according to claim 1 wherein the curved gripping surface of the locking member has side flanges cooperating with'the cable to prevent the same from slipping sidewise from the locking member.

4. A cable clamp according to claim 1 wherein there is a hook on the clamp member for quick detachable engagement with a fixed eye at one end of the cable.

5. A cable clamp according to claim 1 wherein there is a hook on the clamp member for quick detachable engagement with a fixed eye at one end of the cable and the cable gripping surface between the sides of the fork of the clamp member is disposed obliquely relative to a line intersecting the pivot for the locking member and the center of the cable engaging portion of the hook.

MILLINGTON E. STAIR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 332,619 Moles Dec. 15, 1885 813,457 'Seeback Feb. 27, 1906 1,074,736 Noll Oct. 7, 1913 1,203,715 Doust Nov. 7, 1916 1,533,504 Kunz Apr. 14, 1925 

